UK Stadiums: Meadow Lane, Notts County, Nottingham, England
Meadow Lane in Nottingham, is the home ground of Notts County, the oldest professional football club in the world. The club were founded in 1862 and have played at the ground since 1910. Before that the team used nearby Trent Bridge cricket ground on the opposite side of the River Trent. Located just 300 yards (270 meters) from the City Ground, home of rivals Nottingham Forest, the two stadiums are separated by the River Trent. This makes them the closest football grounds in England and the second-closest in the UK, after Dens Park and Tannadice Park in Dundee, Scotland.
Capacity
The current capacity of Meadow Lane is approximately 19,841, making it one of the larger stadiums in the lower tiers of English football.
Meadow Lane's design features four distinct stands. These are the Derek Pavis Stand, the main stand, offering premium seating, executive boxes, and hospitality suites. Named after a former chairman, it houses the club's administrative offices and player facilities.
The Kop Stand is traditionally the home of the most vocal Notts County supporters, the Kop provides a good atmosphere on matchdays.
The Jimmy Sirrel Stand is named after the legendary manager who had several spells at the club (1969-1975, 1977-1982, and briefly in 1985). The stand accommodates both home and away fans, depending on ticket demand.
The Haydn Green Family Stand is a more family-friendly area, encouraging a welcoming environment for younger fans and families. It is named after the man who saved Notts County from liquidation in 2003.
Club History
Founded in 1862, Notts County (nicknamed 'The Magpies' due to their black and white kit famously adopted by Italian giants Juventus) have won the FA Cup once in their long history, way back in the 1893-94 season! This remains the club's one major honor not counting the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1994-95.
Notable former managers include Jimmy Sirrel, widely regarded as the club's greatest manager, leading Notts County to promotions to the First Division in the 1980s. A statue of Sirrel with his trainer Jack Wheeler entitled "Legends of the Lane" can be seen outside the stadium.
Howard Wilkinson was at the helm between 1982 to 1983. He went on to become a prominent figure in English football and managed Leeds United to a league title. Neil Warnock managed the club from 1989 to 1993 and achieved back-to-back promotions, taking the club from the Third Division to the old First Division.
Sam Allardyce stabilized the club during challenging times from 1997 to 1999 and laid a foundation for future managers. A low point was in 2009 when the club was taken over by fraudster Russel King with Sven-Göran Eriksson joining as director of football and Sol Campbell famously playing just one game for The Magpies before leaving. Fortunately, Steve Cotterill was able to guide Notts County to the League Two title in 2010.
The club were relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history in 2019 but returned in 2023.
Access - Getting There
The nearest railway station to the ground is Nottingham Station just 15 minutes or so on foot to the north. Nottingham Station has trains to Manchester Piccadilly, London St Pancras, Leicester, and Liverpool Lime Street. There are also trains from Nottingham to Matlock via Derby, Birmingham New Street and Norwich via Grantham, Peterborough and Ely. Northern also operates trains to Leeds via Sheffield.
Numerous buses also stop near the ground. These include numbers 1-11, 19, 33 and 90. Get off at Victoria Embankment and walk north.
Address: Meadow Lane, Nottingham NG2 3HJ
Nearby Hotels
North of the stadium near Nottingham city center and Nottingham Station are several upmarket places to stay. These include the Leonardo Hotel Nottingham, the Bentinck Hotel and the Lace Market Hotel.
See here for a complete listing of hotels in Nottingham.
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